Wednesday, July 22, 2009

God Says Hello


And Did They Get You to Trade Your Heroes For Ghosts?


I struck out for the third time in a row.

Last Friday (July 17), I returned to Riverdale. I admit I decided to fish there because it's been a safe and reliable spot for me this past season.

After picking up two dozen bloodworms from Jack's, I had my lines in the water at 4:30, about a half hour before high tide.

The weather was humid, and the sky was filled with omnious clouds. Heavy rain and thunderstorms were predicted, but they arrived long after I left. The water was calm.

On that day, I decided to experiment with some new hooks I bought via mail order from Cabelas. For two poles, I used treble hooks. One type I bought was snelled (which I attached on a snap swivel), while the other was not. The second type has a large-enough eye that my fish finder wouldn't slip through it. So I was able to tie it to the line. I wondered if hooking the worm on three hooks would reduce chances of the bait slipping off and also increase the chances of securely hooking a fish. For my third line, I used worm hooks, which I tied to the line.

I did have a few bites. One time I nearly hooked something, but the fish let go of the bait or managed to unhook itself. I did check the lines a few times and saw that the hooks were completely clean. I don't want to conclude my experiment was a failure until I try it a few more ones.

I passed the time reading the Wall Street Journal and the Bronx Times-Reporter. I listened to my iPod, and I exchanged emails, using my BlackBerry Pearl, with a friend.

In the evening, it got cooler, and the sun began to peek through the clouds. I enjoyed the cool weather and was treated to a beautiful sunset.

I left around 8:30 or so after it got dark.

Fishing always seems to slow down in the summer, so we'll see what the next couple of months bring.

Thursday, July 09, 2009

With Your Nerves in Tatters


After a month of silence, I have returned. "Where have you been?" the three of you who visit this blog regularly must be asking. About a day after the Croton disaster, I caught a bad cold--it seemed more like the flu--which incapacitated me the rest of the week. I then caught a minor ear infection, which nagged me for a couple of weeks. My bizarre sleep patterns and some bad weather also helped derail my fishing plans for June.

Today, I went fishing at Five Islands Park in New Rochelle. It's hard to believe that I haven't fished here since April 27. Time passes awful quickly.

I stocked up on supplies at Jack's and bought two dozen bloodworms and two fresh bunker. Once again, I bought more bait than I needed.

I got to the dock around 12 PM, about 90 minutes or so before high tide. The sun was out, and it wasn't too hot. There was a slight breeze. The dock often moved back and forth, perhaps due to the breeze and the water, which was unusually active.

I used three lines, two with bloodworms and one with bunker. Today, I also experimented with snelled Kahle hooks, which are shaped like this. Unfortunately, the ones I bought at Jack's had too much flourocarbon leader (at least three feet) attached to them. I was able to cast my lines with these hooks, but they're more suited for deeper water.

I had exactly one bite. When I reeled it in, the line snapped. I didn't have any other bites. I guess the fish were on vacation.

I packed up around 3:30, as the tide was going out.

I do have a few things to do before my next fishing trip: organize my tackle box, throw out stuff I don't need, clean and then respool one reel, and wash my fishing rags.